Puzzle



May 19, 1936.

E. B. STRUTTON PUZZLE Filed May 4, 1933 5 sheets-sheet 1 May 19, 1936- E. B. STRUTTON *y 2,041,030

PUZZLE Filed May 4,' 1953 s sheets-sheet 2 May 19, 1936.

E. B. sTRUTToN PUZZLE Filed May 4, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented May 19, 1936 lUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 9 Claims.

The invention relates to an article of manufacture and refers more particularly to a puzzle picture. One of the objects of the invention is to produce as an article of manufacture a plurality of polyhedrons having dihedral angles other than 90 degrees and constructed to be space filling when assembled. Another object is to produce the polyhedrons so that they form a solid plane surface with certain of the polyhedrons lo concealed. A further object is to form the polyhedrons of a plurality of types which when assembled form a polyhedron of one of the types and to provide a container for receiving and being filled by these polyhedrons. Still another object is to produce a puzzle picture by securing upon diierent sides of the polyhedrons portionsV of different pictures, whereby different arrangements of the polyhedrons produce different pictures. A still further object is to produce two puzzle pictures with the same arrangement of polyhedrons by forming thel polyhedrons sor that they form two solid plane surfaces when assembled and by securing upon different sides of the polyhedrons portions of different pictures.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective View, with a polyhedron separated and the container broken away, of a puzzle picture showing an embodiment of my in- Vention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof, with the container broken away;

Figure 3 is a plan view showing another embodiment of my invention;

Figure 4 is a perspective view thereof, with certain of the polyhedrons removed;

Figures 5 and 6 are perspective views of portions thereof with certain of the polyhedrons removed;

Figure 7 is a plan View of a group of poly` hedrons; Y

Figure 8 is an enlarged perspective view of the separated polyhedrons of Figure 7; Y

Figure 9 is a perspective View showing another embodiment of my invention;

Figure 10 is a similar view of the container of Figure 8.

As shown in Figure 1, the article of manufacture is a puzzle picture made up of the poly` hedrons I and the container 2 for these polyhedrons. These polyhedrons are adapted when assembled to be space filling and to form upper and lower solid plane surfaces with certain of the polyhedrons concealed. More particularly, the polyhedrons have ive sides and are adapted to be arranged in columns and rows with alternate polyhedrons in each column having their apices in substantially one of the solid plane sur- 5 faces. In the present instance, the polyhedrons have edges of the same length, but it is to be understood that-my invention contemplates the use of polyhedrons having edgesY of different length, but of the same height. The sides of l0 the polyhedrons and particularly the sides which include the dihedral angles other than degrees have secured thereto the portions 3 of diierent pictures, so that by arranging these polyhedrons with the proper sides in the same solid plane 15 they produce a picture. It is apparent that different arrangements of the polyhedrons produce different pictures. As illustrated, the proper sides of certain of the polyhedrons are arranged to produce a solid upper planev forming a certain 20 picture and between the polyhedrons of each column are alternately arranged the other polyhedrons having their apices terminating substantially in the solid upper plane, but for all practical intents and purposes concealed. The con- 25 tainer 2 has its side walls shaped to conform with the sides of the adjacent polyhedrons to thereby iirmly hold the polyhedrons when assembled firmly in place, since they are space filling. 30V

In the modification sho-Wn in Figures 2 to 8 inclusive, other polyhedrons are employed. These polyhedrons also are adapted when assembled to be space filling and, as illustrated, all of their dihedral angles are other than 90 degrees, but 35 it is to be understood that my invention contemplates the use oi polyhedrons having some dihedral angles of 90 degrees and other dihedral angles other than 90 degrees. More specifically, the polyhedrons are of two types, namely tetra- 40 hedrons and octahedrons, which, when assembled, form two solid upper and lower plane surfaces, the octahedrons having parallel opposite sides. While the tetrahedrons 4 and the octahedrons 5 may have edges of different length, they are shown in the present instance with edges of the same length. When these polyhedrons are assembled, the octahedrons 5 have their adjacent edges contacting and the tetrahedrons 4 are located between the adjacent octahedrons or alternate 50 therewith, certain of the tetrahedrons having sides in the solid upper plane surface and certain of the tetrahedrons having sides in the solid .lower plane surface and the corners of the sides of the adjacent tetrahedrons in the same plane 5 surfaces being closely adjacent each other. Thus, certain of the tetrahedrons 4 are for all practical intents and purposes concealedfrom the upper plane surface, while others are to the same extent concealed fromthe-lower plane surface.

Both the tetrahedrons 4 and the octahedrons 5 have secured to their sides portions 6 of different pictures, so that by the proper arrangement of the tetrahedrons and the octahedrons different pictures may Ybe secured in the upper plane surface, the possible number of pictures being eight. Also by properly arranging the tetrahedrons and the octahedrons one picture maybe secured in. Y'

the upper plane surface and another picture may be secured at the same time inV the lower plane surface.

The container 1 has its side wallsV shaped to conform with the side walls of the adjacent polyhedrons, one side wall 8 being inclineddownwardly and inwardly, the opposite side wall 9 beingoparallel thereto o-r undercut and eachof the intermediate side walls having the undercut portion I conforming toa side of` the adjacent octahedron 5, Vthe downwardly and inclined portion Il conforming to the side wall of theadjacent tetrahedron 4, the undercut portion l2 conforming to the sides of the adjacent tetrahedron `4 and octahedron 5, the downwardly and inwardly inclined portion VI3 conforming to the Vside of the adjacent tetrahedron Y4, and the undercut portion I4 which with the adjacent portion of the undercut side wall 9 forms a pocket conforming to and receiving the adjacent tetrahedron 4. The container has the removable bottom l5 which may be removed after the assembled puzzle picture has been covered with a suitable supporting Vtop-and inverted, so that the tetrahedrons now exposed may be suitably arranged to produce a secondV picture. Y In the modification shown in Figures 9 and 10,

the container Il is an octahedron which is adapted to receive and be lled by the tetrahedrons I8 and the octahedrons 19, which may, if desired, have their sides covered by portions of different pictures inY the same manner as shown in the other modifications. vAll of these polyhedrons, as shown, have their edges of the same length, and the tetrahedrons andoctahedrons are adapted tobe arranged inthe same manner as described in connection with Figures 2 to 8 inclu- Y sive. `In fact, the lower half arrangement of these` polyhedrons is the same as that shown in Figure 7. The container may, if desired, be made of transparent material and has but one open side.

While I have used the term picture in describing my invention, it is to be understood that this term should be interpreted broadly to include markings, colors and the like, which may be arranged to securerdesired ror predetermined objectives. Y Y

What I claim as my invention is:

1. An article of manufacture, comprising an Vassembly of two types of polyhedronsV which together are space fllingjthe polyhedrons of'V one VVtype having their adjacent edges contacting and thepolyhedrons of the other type being located between the adjacent faces of the first mentioned polyhedrons.

shape of a larger octahedron, the edges of adjacent octahedron elements being in contacting alignment and the tetrahedrons being located-between adjacent faces of the said octahedro'ns.

4. An article of manufacture comprising an assembly of tetrahedron and octahedron elements which together lill space and have the shape of a larger octahedron, the edges of adjacent octahedron elements being in contacting alignment and the tetrahedrons being locatedV between adjacent faces of the octahedrons, and anr octahedrical container for the assembly of said tetrahedrons and octahedrons completely filled there- 5. An article of manufacture comprising an* assembly'of tetrahedron and octahedron elements which [together fill space and have the shape of an enlarged tetrahedron, said tetrahedron elements having faces lying adjacent to and registering with faces of said octahedron elements and a tetrahedrical container for receiving the assembly of said tetrahedron and octahedron elements, completely filled thereby.

6. An article of manufacture comprisingY anV assembly of a plurality of types ofv polyhedron elements which together are space filling, said elements of bothtypes having all the sides thereof similar and equal triangles, two of the sides of adjacent elements of different types being in registration and in contact and the sides of the respective elements-extending away from the con.- tacting sides being in the same plane.

7. An article of manufacture comprising an assembly of tetrahedron and octahedron elements which together are space filling, all'of the sides of both elements being equal equi-lateral triangles, certain of said sides being registered and in contact with each other, and other of said sides being arranged in spaced parallel planes.

8. An' article of manufacture comprising an: assembly` of octahedron and tetrahedron elements, all of the sides of both types of elements being equal equi-lateral triangles, the octahedron` elements having their adjacent edges in contacting alignment and the tetrahedrons filling therewith continuous parallel opposite' faces. Y f

9. An article of manufacture comprising an assembly of tetrahedron and octahedron elements having all the sides thereof equal equi-lateral, triangles, said elements being arranged to beA space filling and to Vbe assembled into a com-VV posite three-dimensional structure. having parallel opposite faces and the sides of said elements having portions of a4 plurality ofY different pictures, which portions arecomplementary to each other in certain arrangements of said elements.

EDWIN B. STRUTTON. 

